Chapter 56 - 55: Killing Three Birds with One Stone

Chapter 56: Chapter 55: Killing Three Birds with One Stone

Hearing Lu Jing’an’s words, Wen Ling naturally understood his good intentions. However, in her eyes, this matter was still too sensitive. Even though the method he proposed was entirely within the rules, it was, after all, a car worth tens of thousands of silver coins—a highly conspicuous luxury item. It remained far too difficult to handle.

"I appreciate your kindness, Young Master Lu, but I’m afraid this will be very hard to push forward," Wen Ling said apologetically.

Lu Jing’an did not press the issue. It was enough that he had conveyed his intentions.

Wen Ling gently placed her teacup back onto the mahogany tea table. The porcelain met the wood with a soft CLINK. She straightened her posture, looking at him with a calm, steady gaze. "Actually, I came here today because there is another matter I wish to verify with you, Young Master Lu."

Lu Jing’an set his own cup down and made an inviting gesture. "Please speak freely, Sister Wen Ling."

Leaning forward slightly, Wen Ling spoke with a rare solemnity. "Earlier, you concluded that the monster was a ’Test Monkey.’ Are you truly certain about this?"

Lu Jing’an understood why she had suddenly turned serious. Clearly, she and her colleagues had realized the gravity of the situation. "I wasn’t sure before; it was merely a wild guess," he replied slowly. "However, since my method worked, it should be a confirmed fact."

Wen Ling pondered for a moment before asking, "Young Master Lu, can you still find the newspaper you saw that day?"

"It’s long gone," Lu Jing’an said, shaking his head. Pausing for a second, he added, "Sister Wen Ling, do you suspect that the Voiders are artificially creating Demon Beasts?"

Wen Ling nodded with a grave expression. "Yes, we do indeed suspect that.

"However, a matter like this requires a great deal of evidence.

"If this is proven true, Young Master Lu, you will understand the profound implications of it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jing’an’s face showed little reaction. "I understand what you mean, Sister Wen Ling," he said calmly. Then, shifting the topic while maintaining his placid tone, he added, "But perhaps... you are slightly overestimating this matter."

"Why is that?" Wen Ling asked, looking thoroughly confused.

Instead of answering directly, Lu Jing’an posed a question of his own. "You should be aware of how the Lu family plans to dispose of these Demon Beasts, shouldn’t you, Sister Wen Ling?"

Wen Ling nodded to indicate she knew.

"Then do you think there might be a connection between the Voiders purchasing these Demon Beasts and the Ghost-faced Ape?" he continued.

A spark of realization flashed in Wen Ling’s beautiful eyes. "That’s a great idea. We can investigate this by tracking the trade of Demon Beast Flesh."

Lu Jing’an couldn’t help but shake his head. "That’s not what I meant, Sister Wen Ling."

"Then what do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.

He couldn’t blame her. Even though Wen Ling was a Literature Cultivator, her expertise lay entirely in cultivation, not politics.

Lu Jing’an could only patiently explain further. "When I said you’re overestimating it, I didn’t mean overestimating the difficulty of the situation.

"I meant overestimating its importance.

"Sister Wen Ling, with the Voiders buying up Demon Beasts so blatantly, do you really think the higher-ups haven’t noticed at all?

"Do you think they have absolutely no idea what these Voiders are doing?

"There’s a high probability that this kind of thing was tacitly approved by the higher-ups, or that some of them might even be directly involved."

Wen Ling froze. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but ultimately, no words came out. The light in her eyes dimmed little by little, leaving behind only profound exhaustion and an unmistakable trace of sorrow. Lowering her head in silence, she stared at the now-cold tea in her cup, speechless for a long time.

Lu Jing’an did not disturb her, nor did he offer empty words of comfort. He simply sat quietly, letting the crossbreeze sweep through the window lattices.

After all, if he were in her shoes, he would likely feel incredibly dismayed too. The Anping Bureau’s very duty was to slay Demons and eradicate evil, yet the higher-ups were secretly involved in artificially creating monsters.

After a long while, Wen Ling let out an incredibly soft sigh that practically dissolved into the wind. "This world... is truly awful to its core."

Seeing that she looked gloomy but not utterly defeated, Lu Jing’an felt a hint of surprise. He took up the conversation with a gentle tone, "The world may be awful, but fortunately, we still have you, Sister Wen Ling.

"And there are others like you in the Anping Bureau, striving to maintain a sliver of clarity and justice."

Hearing this, Wen Ling looked up at him. She forced her lips into a faint, bitter smile. "There’s no need to be so modest, Young Master Lu. You aren’t so bad yourself."

Lu Jing’an smiled and shook his head, his expression somewhat complex. "I mostly calculate for my own family’s benefit. I don’t deserve such praise."

"Even so, you are already far better than most people," Wen Ling said with earnest sincerity.

Lu Jing’an was momentarily taken aback, but his smile soon grew more genuine. "Since you insist on praising me, Sister Wen Ling, it would be ungracious of me to refuse."

As his voice fell, a glint flashed through his eyes as he suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Sister Wen Ling, would you like to vent some frustration? And perhaps secure a new car for the Anping Bureau while you’re at it?"

Wen Ling’s eyes lit up. "You have a brilliant plan, Young Master Lu?"

He nodded. "Come closer, Sister Wen Ling."

Trusting him implicitly, Wen Ling leaned sideways and offered her ear. Lu Jing’an could see a soft wisp of stray hair by her temple and the pale, delicate curve of her ear. Gathering his focus, he leaned in and began to whisper.

As his warm breath brushed against her ear, Wen Ling started out intensely focused, but soon, her ears uncontrollably flushed with a faint layer of pink. She had never been this close to a man before. The deep timbre of his voice, mingled with the heat of his breath, sent a tingling numbness into her ear, causing her heart to skip a few beats. Involuntarily clenching her cuffs, she forced herself to stay calm, absorbing every single word of Lu Jing’an’s plan into her mind.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Is this plan of yours truly feasible?"

Lu Jing’an had already sat back up. He unhurriedly picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Whether it succeeds or fails, we’ll know once we try. Even if it fails, there won’t be much lost."

After a brief moment of thought, Wen Ling nodded. "Alright, let’s try it your way, Young Master Lu."

Lu Jing’an gave a nod of agreement. "I’ll handle the arrangements."

Suddenly recalling something, Wen Ling asked, "Will the higher-ups pass the pressure down onto the Lu family?"

"They absolutely will," Lu Jing’an affirmed. Before Wen Ling could voice any objections, he continued, "However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Lu family.

"If it works, we’ll kill three birds with one stone."

Seeing his confidence, Wen Ling abandoned the thought of turning down the offer.

With the matter settled, Lu Jing’an intended to invite Wen Ling to stay for dinner. However, she politely declined his offer once again, leaving him with no choice but to see her out. As she was leaving, Wen Ling made a pact with him: once the Anping Bureau found their next manageable target, they would ask for his assistance again. Lu Jing’an naturally agreed to this completely. For him, a deal like this was incredibly worthwhile.

After watching her depart, Lu Jing’an headed straight to find his father to explain his plan.

Lu Huaiqian listened to his son’s plan, drumming his fingers against the table. After pondering for a moment, he said, "It would be best to have the provincial newspapers report on this as well. I’ll arrange it."

"Thank you, Father," Lu Jing’an said, cupping his hands in gratitude.

Lu Huaiqian nodded.

Standing up, Lu Jing’an said, "Father, if there is nothing else, I will head back to my courtyard for Practicing Boxing."

Lu Huaiqian gave a hum of acknowledgment. As he watched Lu Jing’an turn to leave, he called out to stop him.

"Do you have any further instructions, Father?"

Lu Huaiqian fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Your Third Uncle told me about what happened in the Old Crow Forest.

"Our family’s situation may be urgent, but we haven’t reached a point where it’s immediately life or death.

"There’s no need for you to take such immense risks."

Lu Jing’an cupped his hands. "I understand, Father."

He did not argue or attempt to explain himself. This was well-meaning concern from an elder; it was best to simply accept it. As for what he actually chose to do next, that was still entirely up to him.

"Is there anything else, Father?" Lu Jing’an asked again.

Lu Huaiqian shook his head. "Go on with your business."

Lu Jing’an had just returned to his own courtyard from Lu Huaiqian’s quarters when Orchid informed him that his uncle, Lu Huaisan, had just called for him.

Lu Jing’an walked over to the hand-cranked telephone and dialed the four-digit number for the Lu Lutong Company. Through the operator’s connection, he quickly heard his uncle’s voice on the line.

"Third Uncle, has the corpse of the Ghost-faced Ape been transported back?" Lu Jing’an asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"Yes, it has," Lu Huaisan replied. He hesitated for a second before adding, "However, we ran into something strange."